1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to child and infant carriers for bicycles having stroller conversion capabilities so that the carrier can be converted to a childs stroller once removed from the bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
For years, bicycling has remained popular with people of all ages as a source of leisure and exercise. Thus, it is not surprising that bicycling continues to be one of the most popular outdoor family activities. More recently, the number of people who ride bicycles at least once a week for exercise and enjoyment has reached record numbers. While people of all ages can enjoy bicycling, smaller children and infants are generally restricted to riding tricycles or small bikes with training wheels in close proximity to their house, usually in the driveway, patio and sidewalk. Because of the limited mobility of small children, many parents have equipped their bicycles with a child or infant carrier to support their child so that the whole family can enjoy more extensive bicycling trips.
There are numerous child and infant carriers available on the market today, all of which mount to an adult's bicycle with some type of mounting bracket structure. For the most part, these carriers mount behind the adult's seat above the rear wheel of the bicycle. Some carriers are more easily attached and removed to the bicycle, but all are generally designed to provide a comfortable and generally safe seat for an infant or child up to approximately forty pounds. While the bicycle infant carriers available on the market today certainly provide an effective means of allowing the entire family to enjoy more extensive bicycling trips and tours, a problem is generally encountered when the family reaches a resting area or destination such as a shopping center, park or other location congested with pedestrians and where it is desirous to leave their bicycles in favor of walking. In these situations, infants or small children who cannot walk long distances must be carried by their parents. This practice can prove to be tiring and frustrating to both children and the parents who are left carrying them wherever they go. Ordinarily, when travelling to various locations by car, most parents take along a stroller so that they can wheel their children around, especially when walking long distances. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult and hazardous to attempt to carry along a stroller on a bicycle, especially when the bicycle is already loaded to capacity with the bicycle infant/child carrier and child.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, there have been lightweight strollers designed which are adapted for attachment to a bicycle infant carrier. These strollers are collapsible and have a sling type seat. When attached to the carrier on the bicycle, the sling seat drapes within the seating area of the carrier and the stroller is then attached to the carrier at various locations. While the stroller folds and collapses at several points when attached to the carrier, it is still quite cumbersome and extends substantially beyond the dimensions of the carrier. Depending on the size and style of the bicycle, this type of stroller may interfere with the rider while pedaling as well as various structure on the bicycle.
Accordingly, in view of the problems associated with bicycle infant/child carriers in the present art, there exists a need for a compact child/infant carrier which is easily attached and removed from a bicycle and quickly convertible to a stroller so that the need for carrying a separate stroller is eliminated.